By Duke Medicine News and Communications

DURHAM, N.C. -- Harvey Jay Cohen, M.D., has been named chair of the department of medicine at the Duke University School of Medicine, R. Sanders Williams, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, announced Wednesday. Cohen has been serving as the department's interim chair since February 2006.

"Harvey brings the right combination of achievement, leadership experience, communication skills and sound judgment to this important position," Williams said. "During his period of interim service, he has earned the respect of faculty and senior leadership of Duke Medicine alike."

Cohen has served as the department of medicine's vice chair for faculty development and academic affairs since 2003. He helped to establish Duke's division of geriatric medicine in the 1970s and was the architect of Duke's fellowship program in geriatric medicine. He is a professor of medicine and chief of the division of geriatric medicine, as well as director of Duke's Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development. He also directs the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Durham, N.C.

"Harvey has an impressive national reputation as a leader in his field," said Victor J. Dzau, M.D., chancellor for health affairs and president and CEO of Duke University Health System. "His many accomplishments and strong leadership experience speak for themselves and we are pleased that he has accepted this position on a permanent basis."

After graduating from Downstate Medical College in New York City in 1965, Cohen came to Duke for a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in hematology/oncology. He specialized in hematology and oncology in the elderly and became one of the world's leading experts in the field, publishing more than 250 articles and book chapters. He served as chairman of the National Institute of Aging's Board of Scientific Counselors from 1999-2003 and is a past president of the American Geriatrics Society and the Gerontologic Society of America. He is the immediate past president of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology.

"I have been at Duke for many years and have worn several hats in my career. I am honored to be able to continue serving Duke in this position of such great tradition and importance," said Cohen. "I am dedicated to working with our faculty, trainees, students and my colleagues as we collectively remain committed to achieving excellence in all areas of academic medicine."

In his new role as chair of the department of medicine, Cohen succeeds Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D., who took the position of senior vice president of medical affairs and dean of the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine in February 2006.

Duke's program in internal medicine has been consistently recognized as one of the best in the nation in National Institutes of Health funding. Under Cohen's leadership, Duke's program in geriatric medicine was ranked 4th in the nation in the U.S. News and World Report 2006 rankings.